People of Distinction with Benji Cole: Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson, “Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich”
by ReadersMagnet | June 10, 2025 | Article | 0
Benji Cole, host of the radio program “People of Distinction,” invited Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson to discuss her book, “Giving is Not Just For The Very Rich: A How-To Guide For Giving And Philanthropy.”
Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich by Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson is a book that provides advice and tips about charities and philanthropy. This book allows the readers to identify what causes they want to support in line with their advocacy. It also has a list of legitimate charitable organizations that should prevent one from connecting to scams.
Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson sat down with Benji Cole in a segment of “People of Distinction” to talk about how her book can impact its readers and how one can connect to legitimate charities. Here are some details discussed:
Dr. Susan’s Father Trained Her to Become Confident
To start the interview, Benji Cole, host of “People of Distinction,” asked Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson about her background and let the audience know her. The author and philanthropist shared that she came from a family that encouraged her to ask questions and think. Since their family didn’t have any sons, her father, a dynamo and a philanthropist, taught her about his interests.
“He would have discussions with me and he brings me to adult discussions, board meetings, and so forth. The adults treat me very well. So that gave me confidence from the young age to get along with people and to look for positive things to do.”
It’s Better to Research the Charitable Organization First
Benji mentioned that Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson is qualified to offer advice about charities and philanthropy due to her experience in the field. With this, he asked the author how Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich addresses the fact that other people get deterred when asked to sit down and talk about donating.
The author shared ideas from one of her book’s sections titled “How to Research and Evaluate Potential Giving Opportunities,” which provides readers with guiding principles for giving wisely.
“Instead of worrying too much, it’s much better to do research and learn all you can about your organization. I just went through a scam. It was terrible. So, it really pays to be careful. It’s important to be aware of every step of the way. Fortunately, there are official guides you can go to. I have a whole list of them. That’s why you want a book like this. It’s very compact but there’s a lot in it.
“People who want to take advantage of others can adapt names that sound similar to general organizations but they have their own personal interests more important than the organization. So, everything takes a lot of work and effort. But it’s worth it because the more we give to others, the better we feel about ourselves. And in order to have the right kind of relationship with others, we have to know who they are.”
The Positives of Donating
Benji tracked back to their discussion and mentioned that “donating can do a lot for the spirit and make individuals feel good.” Wanting to explore a little bit further, he asked Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson about the positive impacts of donating.
The author said, “This is so important because one doesn’t have to donate money to show concern to others, to smile at others, to praise others because they are taking care of children or parents or the neighborhood, whatever it is to be part of a network of positive people. So much comes back to you when you reach out to others, take care of others, and learn about others.
“Make other people’s lives easier, and we’ll feel better.”
Related Read: Book Review:“Giving Is Not Just for the Very Rich: A How-to Guide for Giving and Philanthropy” by Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson
To the Readers Who Feel that Only Wealthy Individuals Can Afford to Donate
Benji Cole transitioned back to the book title – Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich. He asked the author how she could address readers who feel that only wealthy individuals can afford to donate meaningfully.
“It’s the wrong way to begin because it’s true. In reality, so much depends on choosing causes and doing something for them with money, but also with personal attention. I mention this because I have great admiration to some wealthy women who, too, research and trying to find organizations and institutions that really need help and open a survey of below income key poll.
“Therefore, we can help others to give. And again, it could be in a small way or it could be in a large way. Or you start out small and things can grow. But the main thing is to always look around, ‘how can I be helpful?’”
The Book’s Ongoing Vision
The host asked the author how Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich contributes to a vision of philanthropy in society. Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson said that philanthropy is something that everyone can do. The moment one cares for others, the person would look for other people to help.
“That’s why I like giving lectures because people come up, ‘Oh, I don’t what to do.’ What do you suggest? It doesn’t matter getting into dialogue with people, finding out ‘what is the background?’, ‘what are their interests?’, ‘what are possibilities?’, ‘what organizations they bought?’, and so forth, making it realistically possible for everyone at every level to give to others. They bring so much joy to the individuals and it can happen to people of every political party, and persuasion and religion and this side of the other thing, but the main thing is to give to others not beyond one’s means. Listen to the full interview on the ReadersMagnet YouTube channel. Get a copy of Giving is Not Just For The Very Rich: A How-To Guide For Giving And Philanthropy by Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the ReadersMagnet Bookstore. Visit www.susanaureliagitelson.com to learn more about the author.
